I was reading through I Thessalonians a while back, and I was struck by the beauty of a thought that ties perfectly into this weekend. It is the heart of what Good Friday and Easter are all about. Many themes and aspects of Passion Week can be explored and discussed, but at the core, I think they all revolve around this idea: What Christ accomplished in His death has also been accomplished for us in our death. Let me explain.All of us are going to die. That’s no surprise. There’s no avoiding it. You can eat healthy, exercise, take care of yourself in an effort to prolong your life. But even so, there’s no guarantee except that at some point, you’ll die. It’s a scary thought. It’s even scarier if you read the Bible, because it tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV) and that “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23, NIV) Paul also writes in the book of Romans that death is a result of sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned in the garden (and because you and I sin now) we are destined to face a physical death. But it is not merely a physical death Paul is talking about. He is also speaking of a spiritual death thereafter—eternity apart from God—that is the penalty required of us for sinning against a holy God.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that God, while perfectly holy and perfectly righteous, is also perfectly loving. Perhaps the most familiar verse in Scripture is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And that is the one caveat: we must believe in Christ. Having done so, we are assured that what Christ accomplished in His death has also been accomplished for us in our death: “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:3-7, NIV)Christ’s death accomplished payment for sins. It is the glorious message of Scripture. When we die, the righteousness of God requires that we pay the penalty for our sins. But by dying on the cross, Christ paid that penalty already. Through faith in Him, we are therefore exempt at death from having to make payment. We no longer must spend eternity separated from God. But where does that leave us? Christ’s death on the cross does not mean that we won’t suffer a physical death. History has clearly taught us that. That brings us to the second half of the promise:Christ’s victory over death accomplished our victory as well. As I said before, there is nothing we can do to avoid death. But death is not the end. Christ conquered death by miraculously rising from the dead. And because He is risen, those who have trusted in Him will also be raised to eternal life. The message is really quite simple. And yet it is profound. What Christ accomplished in His death (paying the penalty for sins and achieving victory over death) has also been accomplished for us (who have believed in Him) in our death. It is why we call the darkest day in human history “Good” Friday. It is why the hymn writer of old could call it the “wonderful” cross. It is why Easter means so much more than bunnies and eggs and a sign of spring. And it is why I ask, in the words of another old hymn, “Will you this moment His grace receive?”

I have been trying for several days to write a blog post about The Masters, but I cannot come up with appropriately eloquent prose to convey the depth of my feeling. So instead of doing an injustice to the finest, purest sporting event in the world, I’ve decided to merely make a list of things I love about The Masters. It is long. And if you aren’t a fan, then it may seem silly. But if you get it, you get it. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here is what I love about that little tradition unlike any other, The Masters on CBS:- Hearing Jim Nantz say, “a tradition unlike any other…”- Hearing Jim Nantz say, “Hello, friends”- Hearing Jim Nantz say pretty much anything- Hearing Jim Nantz reminisce about his days at Houston, when he dreamt of calling Fred Couples’ Masters victory…and then having that dream realized in 1992- The fact that Fred Couples is in his 50s and wears boat shoes, yet still seems to be in contention every year- The crowd being called patrons- The rough being called the second cut- Azaleas and dogwoods in bloom- Peter Oosterhuis describing how President Eisenhower campaigned to have the tree later named for him along the 17th hole removed because he hit it so often, and how President Eisenhower was ruled out of order by the club chairman.- The year David Feherty described playing August National as “being tortured by a beautiful woman.”- Waiting for Feherty to crack me up all week- When it happens- Nick Faldo referring to “the pull of Rae’s Creek”- Caddies wearing white coveralls- Green Masters hats- Georgia pines against clear blue skies- Late afternoon sun streaming through said Georgia pines- Shadows on the 10th green- Shadows on all the other greens- Good lag putts that trickle 8 feet by- 56 minutes out of every hour presented without commercial interruption - Fine tolerances- Horticultural names for all the holes- The Green Jacket- Butler Cabin interviews- Amateur invites- The theme music (“Augusta” by Dave Loggins)- The fact that Fox (and its infernal robots) has absolutely nothing to do with the tournament- Moving Day- The first seconds of coverage on Saturday and seeing who is making a move on Moving Day- Checking the flagstick on 11 to know what the wind is doing on 12- Eagle roars- Birdie roars too- The way the leaderboard compacts on the front 9 on Sunday- The tournament beginning on the back 9 on Sunday- Playoffs at twilight- Projecting the cut line on Friday- Low Amateurs recognized in Butler Cabin- The awkwardness of having one nervous man put a jacket on another nervous man on national TV- Magnolia Lane- Bill Macatee telling us that the 14th hole (Chinese Fur) is the only hole on the course without any bunkers- The Crow’s Nest- Ultimate risk reward par 5s- The honorary starters on Thursday morning (Palmer, Player, and Nicklaus)- Fairways like velvet- Greens so fast that the concussive force of a golf shot landing on the green can knock another ball off the green (happened at #6 a few years back)- White sand bunkers- Traditional pin placements- Shots from the pine straw- Reminders from the commentators on how steep the course really is- Memories of 1986- “Yes, SIRRRR!”- “In your LIFE have you seen anything like it?”- Verne Lundquist - Replays of Larry Mize’s chip-in on 11 to win in 1987- Replays of Nick Faldo’s bomb on 11 to win in 1989- Nick Faldo’s accent- David Feherty’s accent- Iced tea and Girl Scout cookies (my little tradition)- Did I mention the theme song?- The ultimate combination of God’s creation and man’s stewardship thereof- Required imagination- The shot heard round the world- “At long last!”- Watching the ball funnel toward the hole on 16 on Sunday- Watching for aces at 16 on Sunday- Leaders in the clubhouse- “Fore please, [Name] now driving.”- Azalea (the hole, #13)- Leaderboard watching- Finding out what was served at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night- Finding out who complained about what was served at the Champions Dinner on Tuesday night- Is anyone still reading this?- Close proximities of the holes- The tiers on the 9th green- Watching a good tournament unfold- Phil Mickelson smiling and nodding at adoring fans (happens everywhere, but is more special at Augusta)- Amen Corner- The MacKenzie Bunker- Approach shots to #2 on Sunday- The Par 3 contest- The 14th green- Anticipation on Sunday before the leaders tee off- Strategy at #3- Bubba’s hook shot from the pine straw in the playoff in 2012- Watching players putt off the green and into the water at #13- Watching past champions make the climb up 18 to an ovation- Watching Phil’s back 9 charge to win his first major in 2004- A dozen other things I’ve forgotten but will remember as soon as I post this- The theme song

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I'm a thinker. For better or worse, my mind is always running. As a writer, I also love the method of communication. I think there's an artistry to it. This blog is my way of giving my constant thinking a place to express itself artistically.